The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-01-19

CLUVERIUS HANGED.
THE MURDER OF FANNIE LILLIAN MADI-
SON AVENGED. 4

THE MURDER OF FANNIE LILLIAN MADI-
SON AVENGED. X
The Murderer Passes His Last Wight,
on Earth in Prayer and Singing
Hymns-.-He Sleeps Three Hours.
tEen Arises and Eats Hearty
Breakfast...The March to the Scat.
fOIti..-HIe Meets Death Calmly and
Unainchinsly and Asserts His In.
nOcence to the Last...History Of
the Crime.
RICHMOND VA, January A.-Thomas J:a
Cluverius, convicted OF the murder OF Frances
Lillian Madison, was hanged in the city Jail
As earlyrs9 A. NJ people begnn to gather
in the vicinity, and by noon every approach
to the Jail was packed with human beings.
which sight into the jail yard could be had
were also crowded. Admission ID thu htatl was
only had through tickets issued By CITY Ser
geant Smith, who. though chary In giving
them out, admitted over two hundred per-
sons. 1913 t u,
The prisoner passed sleepless night most
of his time being spent with Beverly Crutnp,
one OF his counsel who has done everything
to save or extend his life. and who remained
with him until a. NJ. and from that, hour,
at intervals In singing hymns. From o'clock
until he slept soundly, and then arose and
ate at breakfast n tenderloin beefsteak, mnsh-
rooms and an omelet - - =,
During the morning hours there was: much
speculation as to whether the Governor would
further respite him, and that question was
ternoon, when Mr.. Crump. who. had been to-
see The Governor, returned to the jail and an
nounced that the executive power would not
be interpoSed. . e.. .'' -. =. u. ,gs 80
Rev. Dr. william E. Hatcher came ID the
Ijail about II O'Clock and remained with the
lprisoner to the last, administering religious
consolaton to- and praying ghnti1 With him an;,e.
brought to the Jail and the prisoner donned
them. .l,.,~ ~; -;
At two minutes to o'clock the death pro-
cession was formed, consisting OF Sergeant 3
Smith, two deputies, Rev. DIR. Hatcher and
the prisoner. the latter having bis hands tied Y
veloped in an old-fashioned lady's waterproof
cloak. From the cell the march progressed
along the corridor and down two Nights OF
stairs to the lower court of the jail, and then
into the yard fronting the cells OF white .pris-
oners, forty policemen being on duty to keep
back the crowd. The prisoner, though thin
and pale moved with steady steps to the scafs.
fold, which he ascended in the same quiet
manner and stood on the trap. sr,
Sergeant Smith then read the death war.
Or copy of the to OF wS e SoV
head and apparent close attention..
When the Sergeant had concluded, he ASKED
the doomed man # he had anything to say,
ALL" His voice was scarcely audible.
Dr. Hatcher then knelt and offered feeling
and fervent prayer. and when he had hnished
words in low tone, and Dr. Hatcher, turning
10 the crowd In the yard said: II am request
and that is that in this moment OF death he
carries to the grave no feeling Of Ill Will 10
wards any man on earth. Dr. Hatcher tnen
left the scaffold;" Raising both bands ...ns as ne
went out, he said the prisoner had Asserted
his innocence to the last. just before leaving
his cell. When Or. Hatcher had gone, Deputy
Sergeant Alien tied the prisoners knees tight
|. ly together. put the rope around his neck ana
adjusted the black cap and hood.
Everything being ready, Sergeant g ,S,ar Smitn
gave the signal. and at eight minutes aiter
o'clock the trap was sprung. A sudden swi5h
and the clabg OF the falling trap door, ana Inc
next instant the body of Cuvertus was at the
end of the rope, ten feet below where he had
The rope. which was made OF parti-colored
silk stretched over foot. and the toes OF the
hanged man nearly touched the brick pave'
A minute of quiet, and then there was con:
siderable struggling, lasting severat minntes,
together with heavy, stentorious breathlngt
Indicating that death was being produceu py
After sixteen minutes the physicians pro
nounced him dead. and twenty minutes aftert
the trap WIS sprung the body was taken
down, placed in a plain wooden coffin ana
turned over to an undertaken to be prepared
! for burial ut his former home in King ana
Queen County.
THE STORY OF THE CRIMEs ...-
The following is the history OF the crime for
which Cluverius was banged:
| On the morning OF 14th OF March, 1885, Mr..
| l., Rose keeper OF the old city reservoir In the
Western part of the city, in making his usual
round Of inspection, discovered the BODY OF
the city authorities and the Coroner. who had
| the body taken from the water, when lt WaS
seen that 1t was young woman aooug N
years Of age and guile goqa io0nshg: Essip: nroa
nounced il q case Of suicide, and had the oooy
removed to the morgue at the city alms-house
Peter ]. Burton, a reporter on the Richmond
Dispatch, subsequently went to the reservoir
and then to the morgue, and his invest1gntlon-
resulted in the formulation or MURDER sneo.
ry upon chain Of circumstantial evidence
| which drove conviction To many mlnus. "a
further examination of the body disclosed tne
| fact that The unfortunate woman was lar ao-
vanced in pregnancy. During two days many
| people saw the body, and 1t was flnaliy recog-
nized by two young ladies lthe Misses pun:
stan) as friend of theirs, Miss Fannie Lliisn'
| had for some time past been teaching school
in Bath County. The Coroner's inquest re.
suited in Il verdict OF probable murder; 49,.
Detectives and police were set TO work. ana
In short time brought to light circumstances
which added strength to the murder theory;
4 woman who had registered at the Amer
of "M:sS +. L. Merton" was missing from the
hotel, and her disappearance and the fnding
of the body about the same time furnished
a clue eb beeo ior knoWn Whe the socaed
Miss Merton was at the hotel she wrote anu
received several notes, but one dlrecteo py
her was never delivered. and after her Depart
ure from the hotel 1t was torn TO pieces oy the
clerk and cast into a waste basket. scraps OF
this note and envelope were subsequently
brought to light. and when pasted togetner
served rs one of the principal linEs IN tne
chain which convicted the murderer, u oelng
addressed 10 "T. J. CluveriuS." Further In
uuiry developed the fact that the man was
Young lawyer of King and Queen county,
and cousin Of the deceased.
The discovery of this note led TO the arrest
of Cluverius, who was known TO nave peen
in Richmond on the 18th OF March. He was
found at the residence of his aunt, Mrs. Tun.
stall, in King and Queen County. aud orougnt
He waived preliminary examination and
was sent to the grand Jury of the Hust1ngs =
Court, He was indicted in O preliminary way
for murder and his trial began mt the May
term OF court and continued for twentY.e1ght
days. Owing to the difficulty In obtaining
competent Jurors In Richmond, 1t was found
NECESSARY to draw tnlesmen from Alexandria,
and q Jury was finally impancled with seven
Richmonders and five AleXandrianS compos.
ing it. The prisoner pleaded not guilty and
the trial proceeded.
Nearly 200 witnesses were examined, ana
step by step the evidence fixed upon the prls,
oner the brand Of Seducer and murderer; ana
when the able counsel on both sides had con-
t,et n